Malaysia matriculation U-turn: Top scorers denied entry after quiet grading policy shift

Straits Times

19 hours ago

The SPM exam is equivalent to Singapore's O levels. The matriculation programme, which is akin to pre-university education here, takes one or two years to complete. PHOTO: BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR – When Ms Veronica's daughter scored 10 As in her school-leaving exam, the family was confident she would secure a coveted place in Malaysia's public pre-university course, known as the matriculation programme.
This was because Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had publicly assured on June 30, 2024, that all students with 10 As – typically defined as a mix of A+, A and A- grades – for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams would be guaranteed a spot in the programme, regardless of race.
The SPM exam is equivalent to Singapore's O levels. The matriculation programme, which is akin to pre-university education here, takes one or two years to complete.
The latter is a public education route that is much highly sought after, as those on it are guaranteed places in Malaysia's public universities, making it a cheaper option than private local colleges.
As a reference, the cost to study computer science at a public university can cost about RM10,200 per course, while the cost of attending a local private tertiary institution starts from approximately RM62,000 for the entire course.
Ms Veronica's 17-year-old daughter scored A+ grades in six subjects, A in two subjects, and A- in another two, and got a near-perfect merit score of 99.46 out of 100 for her academic achievements and co-curricular activities.
But when the placement results were released in May , she was unexpectedly left out.
'We genuinely had high hopes of her getting into the matriculation programme. We believed she had a fair chance, so when she wasn't offered a spot, it was a real disappointment for our family,' said Ms Veronica, a government servant who declined to use her full name for fear of repercussions.
'It's deeply disheartening and frustrating. We understand there are limited places, but when near-perfect students are rejected with no clear explanation, it raises serious questions about fairness,' she said, adding that her daughter's friend was similarly disappointed despite scoring even better grades.
Mr Anwar's 2024 announcement had been lauded as a bold step towards meritocracy and raised hopes among students, in a system where 90 per cent of the available slots in matriculation colleges are reserved for bumiputeras – categorised as Malays and other indigenous ethnic groups.
But with a limited 30,000 spots available per intake and a longstanding racial quota, the latest disappointment faced in matriculation placements has reignited debate over fairness, meritocracy and the need for reform in Malaysia's post-secondary education system.
It was also revealed in an April 30 circular by the Education Ministry that an A- grade will no longer be considered an A grade under revised matriculation entry requirements.
As a result, students must attain A and A+ grades to get the straight As required for admission to the matriculation programme . The change was later confirmed by Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh via a Facebook post on May 9.
The policy shift has drawn the ire of hundreds of high SPM scorers, who got their results on April 24, many of whom would have qualified as having scored 10 As under previous grading interpretation.
The youth wing of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), which is part of the ruling unity government, said that more than 400 students have sought its assistance over the matter.
On June 4, the party submitted an official appeal, including academic transcripts, to the Education Ministry for the students to secure matriculation spots.
MCA Youth central committee member Ong Chee Siang said the grade classification was unfair and came without any warning.
'The government should have announced this earlier, at least three to five months before they took the SPM exams,' he said.
He also noted some inconsistencies, highlighting a case where twin sisters had both scored 9As and 1A-minus for their SPM results and had nearly identical co-curricular points. One received a placement in the matriculation programme, while the other did not.
'If two students have similar SPM results but only one secures a spot in matriculation, something isn't right,' Mr Ong said. He added that a 2009 circular had classified A- as part of the A range.
But considerations for matriculation placement do and should go beyond just getting straight As, several experts told The Straits Times. And while the dashed hopes in light of earlier assurances by PM Anwar are understandable, guaranteeing admission based solely on top grades is not the answer to improving post-secondary education.
A government source familiar with the matter guided ST through the criteria for matriculation entry, explaining that admissions are multifaceted. Socio-economic background and racial quotas play a significant role, in addition to merit-based scores.
These criteria vary across streams such as science, engineering, computer science and accountancy. A student's merit score is calculated based on four core subjects – of which mathematics is compulsory – making up 90 per cent of the total score. The remaining 10 per cent is derived from co-curricular activities.
He explained that students from families in the bottom 40 per cent of income earners, known as the B40, are also given priority over academically stronger candidates from the middle (M40) and top (T20) income brackets.
Basing admission to matriculation colleges on just on a straight-A metric itself is flawed, said higher education policy researcher Wan Chang Da, who is also a former director of the National Higher Education Research Institute, a government agency.
'Using grades alone is a narrow way to measure talent,' he told ST. 'Students who can afford tuition are more likely to get top scores. It perpetuates inequality.'
The discussion has devolved into a 'hair-splitting' debate, said Dr Lee Hwok Aun, senior fellow and co-coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, adding that the initial promise of guaranteed placements should not have been made in such a 'knee-jerk' manner.
'I understand that the government seeks a clear and straightforward method using an easily understood metric, but any 'guarantee' of admission is bound to become problematic because the real world is more complex and diverse,' he told ST.
Spots in matriculation collages are also extremely limited.
And while the government tried to increase the yearly intake to up to 40,000 students for the 2020 academic year, a review determined that only 30,000 students could be admitted due to the limited capacity of the matriculation colleges.
The current intake for the matriculation programme has not changed. And of these, 27,000 spots are allocated to bumiputera students, while 3,000 are reserved for non-bumiputera students – maintaining the 90:10 quota ratio.
For the non-bumiputera allocation, the 10 per cent quota is further divided by ethnicity: 5.43 per cent for Chinese students, 3.72 per cent for Indian students, and 0.85 per cent for students of other minority backgrounds.
Circling back to the discussion about matriculation spots, Dr Wan said: 'This is a critical moment for Prime Minister Anwar to reform post-secondary pathways and improve university access to retain Malaysia's talent.'
As for Ms Veronica's daughter, if she is unable to secure a spot in the matriculation programme for medicine, she plans to study Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Her parents believe her academic performance may qualify her for a scholarship, to help offset the cost.
'Initially, she couldn't accept the idea, but after discussing and analysing the situation with her and some friends, she is now open to considering it as her Plan B.'
Hazlin Hassan is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times.
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